travel Troubleshooter: Cancelled my tour — but where’s my refund, Viator?

expensive travel Troubleshooter: I have a problem with Viator, a web site that sells tours. I booked four of its tours in Naples, Italy, this year. lamentably, I needed to cancel the tours because I developed bronchitis and a middle ear infection in each ears. My doctor said I couldn't shuttle.

I emailed Viator to cancel my journeys. Three of the 4 tours offered an instantaneous refund. however, my tour of the ocean Grottoes of the Amalfi Coast, for which I paid $775, did not reply.

After a number of efforts to contact the tour operator, it declined to refund the tour, announcing that it changed into six calendar days earlier than my go back and forth, and hence will present only a 50 percent refund. I've examine the phrases, and i agree with i'm entitled to a full refund. are you able to help me?

— Jacqueline Bohnen, Kempton Park, South Africa

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answer: if you canceled 24 hours earlier than your tour — which you probably did — you'll want to get your money again. if you log into your Viator account and click on "manage Bookings," you'll see the phrases and stipulations. They state that you'll receive "a one hundred percent refund for cancellations made at least 24 hours in boost of the start date of the event."

however there's extra. if you assessment Viator's phrases and stipulations, you'll also see that the 24-hour rule is a "standard" coverage, however that ultimately, your tour operator's policy prevails (www.viator.com/phrases-and-situations#funds). Viator didn't function this tour, but it surely has some manage over how you're charged (and, if imperative, refunded).

"Cancellation policies vary from the normal and also you need to examine the supplier's cancellation policy contained in the applicable product checklist on the time of your reserving, which is the policy with the intention to follow to and govern the phrases of your cancellation and any refunds," it notes.

In other words, Viator's coverage applies — except when it doesn't.

a look on the Sea Grottoes of the Amalfi Coast tour shows a 5-day window for cancellations. come what may, your tour operator had misinterpret its own policy. That's no longer as unusual as you might think. It's relatively general for airline employees to misinterpret their personal fabulously advanced fare guidelines. Repeated appeals to the tour operator gained't assist you — anyway, as Viator's phrases and prerequisites word, Viator nonetheless has your money.

that you may discover Viator's government contacts on my purchaser-advocacy site: Viator is owned by way of TripAdvisor, so www.elliott.org/business-contacts/tripadvisor. a brief, well mannered e-mail to one among them could have helped.

I contacted Viator for your behalf. It reviewed your contract and determined that you just were, certainly, within the window to cancel.

"We're addressing this error to be certain it doesn't ensue once again," a TripAdvisor spokeswoman advised me. "The huge majority of our products are moving to a 24-hour typical cancellation policy, with the intention to give tourists the pliability to cancel as much as a day earlier than the delivery of their tour for a full refund. This new policy will provide travelers more flexibility that allows you to book with self assurance."

You've obtained a full refund.

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